Matthew reads, I guess...

  Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian was another book that was sat on my shelf for a good while before I finally got around to reading it, and it finally made it off and into my brain – you truly love to see it. Now, a quick point I want to make about this post is that I’ve unintentionally spent most of this post just talking about the characters – I think that might be because this is more of a coming-of-age book than anything else. If you want the video of this post (CLICK HERE) So, good bestie, the blurb – Blurbstie, if you will? – told me that the book was set in 1989 – Taylor Swift tease – in New York and followed three characters. The first, Reza, who has recently moved to NYC with his mum and was terrified of people finding out he was gay. The second, Judy, who worships her uncle Stephen, who has AIDS. And third, Art, the only out and proud kid at the school. Now, Reza and Judy start dating, but Reza and Art start getting closer, and Reza wants to find a way out of his rela...

I read The Gravity of Us, so As Far as You’ll Take Me isn’t my first Phil Stamper book. I also have this thing where I’ll read a book, enjoy it while I’m in it, but like two days later I won’t be able to remember a single thing about it, other than the fact I liked it. And I’m like that with TGoU. I remember I liked it, but I don’t remember why. But because I remember liking it, that’s why I wanted to give AFAYTM a go. If you want the video version of this post (CLICK HERE) So, the good bestie, Miss Blurb, she told me that the main character, Marty, is heading overseas to London. His parents think he’s going to this summer music course, but he’s basically running away, because he has a one-way ticket – so I immediately got How It All Blew Up vibes from that, Run Away With Me Carly Rae Jepsen tease. And then it also says that Marty wants to build a life for himself there, but London is crowded and overwhelming. Anyway, Marty meets Pierce, who is gorgeous, charismatic, and the blurb fi...

I believe that I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver is the first book that I’ve read with a non-binary lead. I’m certain I’ve read books that have non-binary characters before, but this is the first one where the protagonist is non-binary. So, the old blurb told me that the main character, Ben de Backer, comes out to their parents as non-binary, and are then kicked out and have to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas. Then, as Ben is trying to survive senior year unnoticed, the “funny and charismatic” Nathan Allen takes Ben under his wing. The blurb is then rounded out by saying the book is a “celebration of life, friendship… and a shining example of hope in the face of adversity.” And I took that to mean that there was going to be a happy, or at least a hopeful, ending to the book. The book opens on Ben with their parents, and on the second page, there’s this little interaction with Ben and their dad, specifically. Their dad says, regardin...